Mirabelle (Yellow) Plum Tart

Last year when we got these little yellow plums, known as Mirabelle) from the CSA we were completely confused and perplexed. The plums I've always seen have been a deep, dark reddish purple, and about twice the size of our vibrant yellow friends. So, we couldn't quite figure out what to do with them. But this year, I was prepared, sort of.

I spent a week researching plum dessert recipes and have big plans for the plums. The first of which is a simple plum tart. The crust comes together quickly and easily and I was surprised that the crumb topping melted into a yummy, oozy glaze. The original recipe uses Italian plums and makes a dramatic contrast with the crust.

Too bad I failed to account for just how tart these plums were. They are so, so tart, which made for a very, well,  tart tart. Overall, this wasn't my favorite recipe. And, it wasn't my family's favorite either. It was pretty good with some vanilla ice cream on it. The caramelized bits were really, really good - so, I definitely recommend upping the cooking time. I also wasn't the hugest fan of the olive oil in this. It begs for butter if you ask me. However, it is a gorgeous dessert.

As my mom said, it's really good if you put ice cream on it - to which I informed her is what people say about store-bought cake. My dad straight up said it wasn't as good as the Ghiradelli brownies we made the night before. Which are admittedly way better, but hey, they're chocolate. Of course they're better. Pro tip: They're really, really yummy frozen. Who woulda guessed?!

I think the mirabelle plums need to be cooked up with some brown sugar and butttter. Oh yes, I'll be doing that soon.

Recipe adapted from Food52

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 c. plus 1 tsp sugar
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp.  milk
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter
15 - 20 Mirabelle plums

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, milk and almond extract. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix gently with a fork, just enough to dampen; do not overwork it.
3. Use your hands to pat out the dough so it covers the bottom of the pan, pushing it up the sides to the edge of the pan.
4. In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the butter. Rub it together until crumbly.
5. Quarter plums and arrange in tight concentric circles and top with crumb mixture. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until shiny, thick bubbles form and the fruit begins to caramelize. Serve with large scoops of ice cream.
6. .